1.3 The Cop and the Anthem

 1.3 The Cop and the Anthem

The title of the text:

The title does not give any clear idea of the content. Cop and Anthem are just nouns. The word ‘Cop’ stands for a policeman and ‘Anthem’ for a religious song or a prayer mostly sung in a church. We can just imagine that the text is related to the police and the religious song. If we go through the text, we will get the clear idea about the text.

ICE BREAKERS

1) Suppose you have gone to a place where the winter season is very severe, suggest the ways in which you would protect yourself in the cold climate.

Answer: 

Ways to protect from cold climate:

a) To wear woolen clothes. 

b) To do exercise and keep body warm     

                         

c) To sit near bonfire.           

d) To drink hot drinks and soups.

e) To use room heaters

f) To take steam bath

g) To stay inside the closed room

2) When you see a cop approaching, you feel either ‘relieved’ or ‘scared’. Give the situations when you felt ‘relieved’ or ‘scared’.

Answer:

a) I felt relieved seeing the cop approaching:

i) When I was walking alone in a dark street.

ii) When I saw a thief stealing my friends bag.

iii) When I was attacked by anti – social elements.

iv) When I missed the correct road.

b) I felt scared seeing the cop approaching:

i) When I was riding a bike without a valid driving license.

ii) When I was driving a car on the wrong side.

iii) When I broke the red signal at the crossing.

iv) When I was carrying two friends on a motorcycle.

3) Write some of the motivating things that can change a person's life. 

Answer:

The motivating things that can change a person's life:

a) Listening to an inspiring speech

b) Attending career development and inspirational seminars.

c) Reading success stories of eminent persons

d) Participating extra-curricular activities in the college

e) Seeing the films having inspirational themes.

f) Participating in social work

g) Helping the weaker sections of the society.

h) Becoming a creative participant of the organizations working for the well-being of others.

i) Watching inspirational videos on social media.

Synopsis of the text:

Soapy wanted to go in jail to live idle life. He tried to break law but his attempts were failed. He was not caught by the Cop. He came near the church yard. He heard a musical note of an anthem. Hearing it he remembered his past wonderful days. It brought a sudden and worth change in his soul. He decided to fight and change his life. He also decided to find work. While Soapy was daydreaming, a policeman taped him on the shoulder and asked what he was doing. He was arrested for loitering and the following day sentenced to three months in Blackwell's Island (jail). 

New words and meanings:

Asphalt – gravel, grit, small granules of stone used in road development.

Vest – sleeveless shirt, coat, jacket, banyan 

Shaven – trimmed the beard, done shaving

Trim – neat, tidy, orderly 

Bow – a knot used for to a tie (tie-knot)

Thanksgiving Day – the fourth Thursday of November which is marked by religious observance and dinner.

Roasted – baked, cooked, heated

Mallard duck – a duck mostly used as food in western part of the world

Revenge – avenge, retaliation

Filled – satisfied, fulfilled, content

Winter Island – Here it means jail

Tattered – torn, rags, rugged, worn-out

Decadent – degraded, gone bad

Avert – stop, turn away, ward-off

Ignoble – dishonorable, shameful, disgraceful, insulting 

Menaced – forbidden, threatened 

Coveted – highly desirable

Coveted island – here, the jail

Limbo – dividing line, midpoint here, boarder between heaven and hell

Devise – set up, plan, formulate 

Cunningly – artfully, craftily 

Brass buttons – a policeman, a cop